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The Earthwalker
One of the more complicated deities, The Earthwalker is a former Cennadhau who was stripped of his name, his title, and his wings and cast to Earth. Over time he has become a fairly popular deity, especially in the Aperonian Downlands. Appearance Legends state that the Earthwalker's appearance changes with the passing of the seasons (usually his age), but there are many consistent descriptions and depictions of him. The Earthwalker is usually shown as having uneven, dark brown hair the color of fresh mud and a weary, lined face. His ears are often shown as being longs and pointed, with the tips poking out of his hair, reminiscent of depictions of his siblings Haragta Loko and Szives Latu, though many will insist his ears are rounded like a regular human's. He wears traveler's clothes, always in Downlander fashions. His back is always covered, hiding the long scars (sometimes stubs) where his wings once were in his former career as one of Zin Aduro's Cennad. The unique part about The Earthwalker's appearance, and here artists and storytellers never disagree, is that his eyes are mismatched. His left eye is blue, but his right eye is a star's eye, with a black sclera and a white iris. Its original owner was Alethia, The Earthwalker's lover and the co-star of the tragic romance that surrounds them. Duties As a Cennad, The Earthwalker acted as the Mind of the world. He led the trio of Cennadhau, acting as the strategist and tactician when it came to solving conflicts. Like his siblings, he acted as a messenger and executor of Zin Aduro's will. The Cennad of Mind was, as befitting his title, the most clever, and also the most shrewed. His aim was to solve problems quickly and with the most advantage to himself, often with little regard to any casualties caused in the process. After his wings and his name were stripped from him, the Earthwalker became far more enigmatic in his obligation to the furtherment of Rachma. He is unique in that he does not directly facilitate the progress of the Last World; rather, he is inextricably bound with the earth of Rachma itself, and any actions he takes to help his worshippers are small miracles that can be easily attributed to chance, such as having a slight surplus at the end of a difficult harvest. The Earthwalker keeps the seasons in line; they existed before him, but he brings order to the shift between one season and the next. Most legends state that the changing of the seasons are tied up in his search for Alethia: Spring and summer are when he feels the most hope for finding her, and autumn and winter follow his descent into despair. Earthwalker's Day is a holiday centered around this belief. The End of Days The Earthwalker's goal is a selfish one: he journeys across Rachma in order to find where Alethia is hidden. Many Aperonians, regardless of their religious sect, believe that if the Earthwalker finds her, the end of the world will begin. The seasons, so bound to his quest, will end, and the world, for which he no longer cares, will wither. Multiple "Apocalypse Legends" begin with the Earthwalker finding Alethia. Worshippers In Aperion, the Earthwalker is worshipped as a primary deity by Downlanders, though there are some Upland chapels in areas lower in altitude. Their more agragarian culture lends itself well to the worship of an earth god, and his humbling origins speak to many who often feel downtrodden by their mountain-bound neighbors on the other side of the Lower Bank. Places of worship for the Earthwalker are usually referred to as "Chapels of Earth," or in slang, a "Dirt House." It is very common for these places to double as temporary hostels, and it is not unusual for a chapel to have at least one or two extra beds for travelers. Preachers of the Earthwalker's discipline make it a point to welcome strangers, as you never know who that stranger may really be, given the Earthwalker's shifting physical form. Category:Gods